THE RIVER OF LIFE
The
river starts from her ancient source,
Through
crags, rocks, sands and dales,
She
struggles on —
She
rises and falls; sings and dances;
Now
rushes and roars; now silently flows;
She
feeds the thirsty roots; she lays waste the fertile plains.
She
runs on and on — helping life to grow
And
destroying life in its growth.
At
last finds the haven of rest and peace,
In
the still depths of the ocean.
— Swami Ramdas
How I understand it:
Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas has metaphorized life
with a river in this poem. The course of life is much like that of a river that
starts from its source. Our life too, starts from the Source of all sources —
God. It goes through its ups and downs represented through the crags, rocks,
sands and dales; and also, through joys and sorrows that make us rise and fall,
sing and dance along the way.
At times life moves slowly at a leisurely
pace and at times goes by very fast, just like the river that silently flows or
rushes and roars through its meandering path.
The journey of the river from the source to
its confluence is sometimes is the cause for growth and at times for destruction;
the journey of our life too, many times brings forth creativity and bounty and at
other times destruction, until it finds rest in the Infinite.
In his book SPECIAL INSIGHTS INTO SADHANA,
Vol. 6, Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj wrote:
“We
never stop to ponder life. We never pause in our ceaseless outward-oriented
activities which we think is life. We do not pause for awhile to take time to
step out of life’s stream, to stand on the banks and observe life from that
point.
The
banks do not move; the banks do not change. Constantly the river moves;
constantly the waters change. Even for a single second, you are not standing
before the same river. The river that was before you one second ago is not
there now. What is before you, is some other river; the other river has gone.
Even
so with life. You are also ever-changing. If you step out, stand on the bank
and observe life, you may get a better understanding about it and its flow. You
must stop for a while and ponder life. You must pause a little from ceaselessly
being rushed. It takes time.
Probably Beloved Papa’s purpose for using
the metaphor of the river may have been the same as mentioned by Pujya Swami
Chidanandaji. He wants us to know that we are so entangled in the flow of life that
we have forgetten the Source and Destination and also the need to stand back
and watch dispassionately the joys and sorrows, the ups and downs of life. When
we know and realise that we have come from Him and are on our way back to Him,
we will try be equipoised at all times. That’s when we find the haven of rest
and peace in the still depths of the Ocean — God.
Prem Sudha:
The Marathi translation of this poem, as
enshrined in the collection called Prem Sudha, is given below:
जीवन-नदी
प्राचीन ऐशा उगमांतुनी ही
पयस्विनी जीवन-रूप वाहे,
गिरी दऱ्या वाळु प्रदेश मार्गी
सोसूनिया कष्ट नितांत
जाई
चढे, कधि होय उतार तीस
गावींत गीतें, करी नर्तनास,
जवप्रवाह कधि गर्जनात
प्रशांत ती शांत वहात
जाते.
तृषार्त मुळें कधि पोषवील
सुपीक शेतें उघडीं करील,
वाढावया जीवन सहाय देत
विकासलें ध्वंस करीत
जात.
नदी अशी संतत ये वहात
विश्रांति-शांतीमय बंदरांत,
महोदधीच्या उदरिंत शांत
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